a blog about everything related to youth raising French angora rabbits

Black Diamond Kits

Sage's Kits, Nine Weeks Old

Friday, March 27, 2015

Who Actually Raises French Angora Rabbits?

I've noticed some trends here as the girls breed and sell their rabbits, a total of twenty rabbits so far. Here is the run down on who buys French angoras, in our limited experience.

One trend, of course, is expected. And that is that spinners buy angora rabbits to have their own supply of fabulous angora fiber to spin. Nine of the twenty have been sold to people who identify primarily as spinners.

What has been surprising to me is the number of homeschoolers who buy French angoras. Another nine of the twenty have been sold to people/families who identify primarily as homeschoolers. I think it's because homeschoolers tend to be a bit more practical as a group and like to see their "pets" have a practical purpose in life besides companionship. Not that companionship is not important--it's just that pets can be so much more than just companions. And homeschool families also aren't worried about the time commitment of caring for an angora rabbit. (Not that there is a huge time commitment--it's really not more than 2-5 minutes more per week than for their short-haired counterparts.) But because life revolves around the home, there isn't the concern that a busy schedule will result in neglect of the rabbit.

One was sold primarily as a pet. Because of a very slight, but critical, defect he could not be a show bunny.

In all of this, however, there is usually at least one secondary reason for choosing a French angora rabbit. Twelve of the bunnies went to homes where they will be involved in 4-H. Based on my conversations with the new owners, I suspect that at least six of our rabbits are becoming part of the urban homestead or prepping trend. At an average weight of nine pounds, French angoras are considered a dual purpose rabbit. Also, rabbits are the most efficient of animals at converting feed to meat, and rabbit manure is fabulous for the garden. They fit in very well with the prepping lifestyle.

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If you are interested in a rabbit or if you have questions, drop us a line at blackdiamondbunnies@gmail.com.

Please, please, please email us with questions, or post them on the blog. We really want to be sure our rabbits are going to good homes with responsible owners ready to care for them. While all of our customers thus far have been very nice people who we have every confidence are providing the best of care for their rabbits, we have had some concerns with individuals who have expressed interest in our rabbits. If we are not completely comfortable with an individual, we will not sell you a rabbit. That's just the way it is. One excellent way for us to become comfortable with you and with your level of preparation is for you to ask questions. What we really do not want to see is someone who emails and says, "I'm ready for my rabbit now. When can I come by?"

If you wish to speak with us in person, we'll be happy to give you a call, or provide our phone number through an email. We're sorry, but because this is the Internet, and because we have young women involved, we can't post our phone number or physical address online. We live about 20 minutes north of the 395/Interstate 80 junction in Reno.

1970's Soviet Propaganda Poster, Rabbit Style

This photo graced the top of the blog for several months. Why do I call it a Soviet propaganda poster? Because it looks just like one. (I got my degree in Russian in 1987. I got to see a whole lot of Soviet propaganda posters in the course of my studies.) Anyway, it's classic Soviet propaganda. There is almost always a lighter individual, centered and higher than the darker individuals who are flanking and lower. The lighter individual looks up and to the side, into the light. The sun's rays smile down, indicating a bright future. We could never have gotten this pose in a million years if we'd been trying.